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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27823456">quiet understanding</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aallynn/pseuds/Aallynn'>Aallynn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Nico Robin, Bisexual Roronoa Zoro, F/M, Implied/Referenced Sex, mention of roronoa zoro/trafalgar law</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:41:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27823456</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aallynn/pseuds/Aallynn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s unconventional, what they have. Crewmates don’t do things like these. Don’t feel things like these. And couples don’t act that way, either. It’s unconventional, and would most probably be frowned upon by most people, but they don’t care. They don’t care because, for now, it works. And it’s theirs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nico Robin/Roronoa Zoro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>quiet understanding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A quick Zoro/Robin fanfic that's been living rent free in my mind for a bit. A lot of the fanfics I saw about these two seemed too out of character to be realistic. Hope I did an ok job. Might add some chapters if I feel like it.<br/>Reviews are appreciated, hope you enjoy :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first time it happens, it’s a few days after they’ve left Fishman Island. They’ve been setting sail for a bit, patiently waiting to arrive at the next island. They have an impromptu party after dinner, because that’s what it’s like to travel with Luffy. The crew drinks, eats and dances until well into the night, until everyone passes out in their respective rooms. </p><p>       It’s Zoro’s night on watch, though, and, surprisingly enough, he’s not really tired anyway. Robin asks if she can join him, because she’s in no mood to sleep either, and he accepts, getting used to her quiet company again. She brings a bottle of wine and they start chatting away, about the two years they just spent away from each other, about their most recent adventure on Fishman Island, among other things. </p><p>       The conversation flows between them, the occasional silences not feared but enjoyed. Their minds work in a similar manner, logical, calm, dark yet still strangely optimistic. As Zoro takes a long sip out of the wine bottle, - red, not surprising knowing it’s Robin who chose it - he takes the time to appreciate her comfortable presence, and how much he missed these late night conversations. As he studies her profile, while she tells him about the organization of the Revolutionary Army, and about Dragon, Luffy’s father, he notes that it’s not just the conversations he missed, but also her mere presence around him, her quiet intelligence, and simply the way they often seem to view the world the same way. His thoughts are interrupted by her piercing blue eyes, suddenly looking right through his own grey ones, and he notices she’s stopped talking -for how long? </p><p>       He’s not too sure when it happens exactly, but he notices her shoulders shifting slightly towards him as she brings her face closer to his, and before he’s even registered what’s happening her lips come crashing on his. His first instinct is to pull away, out of shock, and simply stare at her in disbelief. Robin can’t help but let out a small giggle, seeing him like this. She doesn’t remember a time where she’s seen him so dumbfounded, and it’s so unlike him that it’s almost funny. But before she can formulate any teasing remark, or any apology for acting so impulsively, -about a hundred thoughts running through her mind, panicked, scared of what it could mean for the both of them, and it’s probably the alcohol, anyway- he’s grabbed her face with his left hand and is kissing her with all the passion he’s capable of showing. He grabs her waist and pulls her whole body to him, and she climbs on his lap, grabbing his neck. None of them stop to think, too eager to feel each other to be rational.</p><p>       They have sex on the floor of Crow’s Nest, the only sounds coming from the room being moans, growls, the occasional name and curse whispered under the breath. It seems natural to the both of them, as if that’s what their bodies has been made for, as if there was no more undeniable truth in the world than the two of them, together, like this. Afterwards, they lay in each other's arms, naked, still silent, calm, listening to the sea and each other’s breathing. Then, after a while, Robin plants a soft kiss on his collar bone, gets up, stretches slightly, then puts her clothes back, and with a simple, “Good night, Zoro”, leaves the Crow’s Nest. After that, he puts his clothes back on and finishes his watch, nowhere near as confused as he expected to be. This was bound to happen, eventually, he thinks. And he also thinks he’s ok with it happening now.</p><p> </p><p>	The night after, he finds her alone on deck, looking away at the sea, drinking tea. The night is fresh but not cold, and there’s a slight breeze lifting her hair. She looks beautiful under the moonlight. He goes to stand next to her, back on the railing, and she acknowledges his presence with a nod and a gentle smile. He takes in the silence, for a bit, and then asks her:</p><p>“What was that, yesterday?”</p><p>“I believe it was sex Zoro. Are you not familiar with that concept?”</p><p>He lets out a small laugh. Smart ass.</p><p>“Believe it or not, I know what sex is. What I’m asking is, what did it mean for you? For us?”</p><p>His question is heavy, but asked in a greatly detached manner, natural, casual, like all of their conversation. Deep down, he knows the answer, but he still wants to ask, just to make sure, just to know this isn’t going in a direction that they can’t control.</p><p>Robin takes a second to formulate her next words, and with the same calm, detached tone, she answers:</p><p>“I believe that we both have dreams that we need to achieve. Things we need to do and figure out before any kind of romantic relationship is even conceivable for us. Now, as to why I decided to kiss you yesterday, it was simply because I wanted to. Because I’ve been wanting to. Because no matter what is and what will be, I feel a connection to you that I do not feel with our other crewmates. And seeing how you answered to my kiss, I would assume you feel the same way.”</p><p>She’s not looking at him but just staring away at the sea, perfectly relaxed. However, her eyes meet his for a brief moment before she asks:</p><p>“May I ask what it meant for you?”</p><p>He sighs, turns around to look at the sea with her,</p><p>“The same thing as you, I suppose. But we’re still pirates. Our loyalty is entirely our captain’s. There is no such thing as relationships in a pirate crew, and with our goals in sight, it’s not like we even have time to pursue one.” </p><p>He pauses again. If Zoro was another man, he would be anxious to ask his next question. Embarrassed, even. But he’s Zoro, so his voice doesn't even flinch: “But then, what are we?”</p><p>She smiles gently, plants her eyes in his. If Robin had been another woman, she would have taken time to think about it, would have questioned her feelings for longer. But she’s Robin, so she just knows.</p><p>“Does it matter? We’re us. Not together, but not apart either. This is what it is.”</p><p> </p><p>       As it turns out, their silent agreement ends up working perfectly for both of them. Most of the time, they just act like crewmates towards each other, but on some days, when they feel like it, they kiss, have sex, or simply hold hands. They never voice their feelings out loud, because it’s unnecessary, because it’s part of the agreement. There’s no real rules around whatever it is they’re doing, other than mutual respect, consent and deep affection.</p><p>       They’re both used to having one-night stands on random islands from time to time, and even if it slows down for both of them, it doesn’t completely stop, doesn’t have to. While on a small island on the way to Zou, Robin has sex with beautiful short-haired woman called Aina, a one time thing that she enjoys nonetheless, and Zoro ends up hooking up with Law on their way to Wano. They both know it, both accept it with no judgement nor animosity, just as what it is  </p><p>       The agreement stays secret to the rest of the crew, because both of them are quite private people, especially on these matters, and because it wouldn’t change anything if they knew. They are not a couple, anyway, but not just crewmates or friends either. There are feelings there, not exactly love but something that resembles it. Most of the time, it simply takes the form of long conversations or comfortable silence, of small smiles over the dinner table, of this quiet understanding that they have, and, sometimes, of physical touch.</p><p> </p><p>	With her, Zoro discovers a whole new side to sex, and, quite frankly, he thinks she does too. He’s used to the quick hook-ups in random towns, to one night stands with no feelings other than physical pleasure. To barely learning their name before you undress them, to not letting any emotions take over, to pure, animalistic physical attraction. He only knows the kind of sex you use as a relief from your natural urges, when you let them take over, from time to time. He’s used to being entirely in control, to being rough and urgent. </p><p>       Sex with Robin is different, though. It’s tender, passionate, takes its sweet time. There is no power dynamic, here, only patience, understanding and gentleness. It takes him a bit of time to understand why, a bit of talking, of redirecting. Sex, for her, he learns, hasn’t always been a positive experience, but rather a weapon, or a guarantee for her own protection. For most of her life, it hasn’t been something to enjoy, but rather something she’s had to go through to get where she’d wanted. It hadn’t been until quite late in her adult life when, like him, she had started having one night stands with strangers (who had no idea who she was), that she had started learning that sex should be a pleasurable experience. </p><p>        With her, he has to be gentle, to let her take the lead, because she has been too used to being hurt by those who were touching her, never asking what she wants or if she is ok with what is happening. </p><p>        He enjoys it more than he thought he would, and he knows it’s partially because it’s happening with her. He likes the gentleness of her hands as they run along his skin, likes to leave tender trails of kisses along her jaw and her neck. Likes asking if she’s ok, whispering her name and hearing his on her lips. Likes to hold her close as they climax, the feeling of her fingernails in his back. </p><p> </p><p>	It’s unconventional, what they have. Crewmates don’t do things like these. Don’t feel things like these. And couples don’t act that way, either. It’s unconventional, and would most probably be frowned upon by most people, but they don’t care. They don’t care because, for now, it works. And it’s theirs.</p>
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